Joker Facebook post sparks controversy in Indonesia

The Joker movie continues to spark controversy. This time is in Indonesia, and it all started due to a photo of the Joker portrayed by Joaquin Phoenix that was published by the Health Care and Social Security Agency BPJS Kesehatan.

A post was made on Facebook by the BPJS Kesehatan containing a picture of the iconic villain of Batman alongside a message that reads as follows: “JKN-KIS (National Health Insurance-Indonesia Health Card) covers people with mental health issues… so that no more Jokers would be created”.

Joker continues to cause outrage

The post was quickly followed by criticism from mental health communities accusing the BPJS Kesehatan of being insensitive towards people with mental illnesses. Critics bashed the post for implying that people with mental health issues could turn violent when pushed to an extreme, just like the Joker does in his new film adaptation.

Several mental health institutions from Indonesia showed their disapproval for the post. A representative of the mental health care organization SEJIWA even took the liberty to explain that “People with those conditions, such as those who are psychopathic or narcissistic, may not necessarily become criminals… It can even be prevented with therapy”.

Some people urged the BPJS Kesehatan to remove the post, which – by the moment of writing this article – is already deleted.

Nonetheless, the agency’s intention wasn’t to offend anyone, but to encourage people to use the National Health Insurance-Indonesia Health Card, as stated by a spokesperson of the BPJS Kesehatan.

The spokesman also reassured people that the agency is “on the same page as mental healthcare communities”.

This is not the first time that the Joker causes outraged on social media, as many of its detractors were worried that the screening of the film would cause incidents of incel violence due to its “provocative” content.

However, the Joker movie is just that, a movie, one that serves as a backstory for the iconic clown, which this time is shown in a humanizing way and with the spotlight all for himself.